Yet some eight hours later, Trump still hasn't produced any proof. And on Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders seemed to admit that there was no “proof” after all.

Asked whether the White House had a recording of Trump's call with the widow, Myeshia Johnson, Sanders said it didn't.

Wilson claimed in interviews that Trump crassly told Johnson on the call that her husband, Sgt. La David T. Johnson, “knew what he signed up for.” Wilson also said the widow was dismayed that Trump didn't even seem to know Johnson's name. Johnson's mother confirmed the account to The Washington Post, but Trump disputes it.

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While declining to talk about the specifics of their conversation, Sanders said that it was “completely respectful, very sympathetic” and that Trump “expressed . . . condolences.” She also appeared to confirm at least one claim Wilson had made, saying, “Just because the president says ‘your guy’ doesn’t mean he doesn’t know his name.”

While admitting that there was not a recording, Sanders noted that other top officials, including Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, were on the call. But that's not proof — or anything close to it. The only thing that could be proof would be a recording of the call. Nothing else will allow for any definitive verdict about what was said or the context of it.